


Some Things Don't Fall Far From the Apple Tree

by MaggicSorceress



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Human, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gen, I merged a Tangled AU, So basically, Tags May Change, and a Fantasy AU, and came up with this nonsense, basically Fantasy vers of apple incident, there might be more
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:14:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22964479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaggicSorceress/pseuds/MaggicSorceress
Summary: When Cross rescued him from that tower he had spent seventeen years locked away in and he had been reunited with his mother, the Queen of the Kingdom of Sun no less, and his twin, who he had no idea he actually had, Dream thought that his life was finally going the way it was meant to.But it seems that royalty and magic aren't what it's made out to be, and sometimes it's hard to be the only one who can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Relationships: Dream & Nightmare, Nightmare & Dream
Comments: 23
Kudos: 45





	1. Holy Shit I Have a Brother???

At first, the thought of living in a castle, as a prince no less, was daunting to Dream. However, as time progressed, he realised it really wasn’t so different than living in a tower. Sure, there was more space and more people, and he could technically leave whenever he wanted to, but the stone walls and large murals were comforting, familiar.

He adored his mother, even if he had only met her a month or so ago. She was a very put-together and wise woman, but she was also funny and caring. She would tell him stories, of the kingdom and his father, who had passed away about ten years ago, and she was very patient with his difficulty understanding some things. It was nice, for once, to not be reprimanded for being curious.

Cross, as a gift, had been pardoned of all his crimes and was enjoying a life of luxury as a royal guardsman. Dream liked being able to see him every day. Familiar faces were scarce now, though not as much as they had been, so he appreciated getting to see him every morning.

All in all, Dream was enjoying this new life he had been missing out on for seventeen years. He finally felt like that missing piece in his life was falling into place, that things would finally begin to make sense.

But, it didn’t.

No matter how much time he spent with his mother, or with Cross, the aching hole in his heart only grew until it was an annoyance. _Something_ was missing, but Dream didn’t know what. His missing piece didn’t make him feel sad, like he had when he found out he was the missing prince, or restless, or any type of unhappy. All he felt was longing, but he didn’t know what for.

He confronted his mother about it one morning at breakfast.

“Hmm…” Nyx hummed, pausing her work to lift a well-manicured finger to her lips. “You’re probably still getting used to everything Sunshine. I’m sure it will all settle in eventually.”

He took her words and decided not to worry about it. His mother was very smart after all.

~

Nyx was roused from her reading late one night by a soft tapping at her bedroom door.

“You may come in.” She said, and the door creaked open. Soft yet dark purple eyes peered at her as the figure slipped through the door and shut it behind him. The boy stood, hands clasped tightly in front of him and back ridged, golden crown shining among dark waves.

“I was just wondering if I could talk to you for a minute.” He said, quiet even in the silence of the room. Nyx put down her book and moved till she was sitting along the edge of her bed.

“Of course, you can talk to me Starlight.” She said, beckoning him forward. “Although I’m sure I already know what this is about.”

The young man sat down beside her; hands still clasped tightly where they rested in his lap. “Will you please let me see him?” He asked.

Nyx felt her heart clench. Gently, she placed her hand on her eldest son’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I promised I would let you see him, didn’t I?” She received a nod in return. “And you will. There are just a few things I need to tell him before I let the two of you meet. Could you wait just a little longer? For me?”

When her son only nodded again, she pressed a soft kiss to his temple. “Thank you.” She said. “Goodnight.”

Taking her dismissal, the boy stood and left the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

~

Dream awoke feeling like someone had vacuumed all presence of moisture from his mouth. His room was sweltering, and he felt that if he didn’t get some water to drink _immediately_ he would die of thirst. He eyed the string hanging a little away from his bed. His mother had told him that, if he ever needed anything, he could pull the string, and someone would get it for him. However, it was late and Dream still felt bad about doing things like that, so he decided to venture to the kitchen on his own. He wasn’t entirely sure where the kitchen was, but he’d find it eventually.

As he made his way down to the main floor, he found that the kitchen was infinitely easier to find at night-time than it was in the day. It was the only room with the lights still on. After having downed about two whole glasses of water, Dream filled his glass again and began making his way back to the stairs.

Just when he had begun climbing them, a soft and melodious tune rung out from the silence. It was quiet, as it was coming from somewhere else in the castle, but Dream felt intrigued. It was a piano, no question about it, and the notes were high and light. Though, somehow, the entire tune seemed melancholy, as if the piano was crying. Dream made his way towards the sound.

_“Silver light.”_ A low and quiet voice sang from the darkness. Curiosity spurred Dream on. _“He turned his face up to the starlit sky.”_

_“And on this night began to wonder why.”_ Dream rounded a corner and found the voice carried on louder the more he walked. _“He knew that soon the day would come.”_

When finally Dream reached the end of the hall, he was greeted with a door, cracked open only the slightest bit. He recognised the door; it led to the ballroom.

_“Born to be.”_ He pressed the door open wider and stepped into the room, the moonlight seeping in from the windows illuminating the vastness of the ballroom. _“An heir of beauty and serenity.”_

_“Into this world he entered quietly.”_ A grand piano sat across the room from him. The player of said piano was facing the doorway, framed in silvery rays, and had yet to notice Dream entering the room. He couldn’t see his face, as the boy’s head was down, but something in him jumped and lurched at the sight. _“To his surprise, he was the one.”_

Dream held his breath, not willing to give away his presence as he fought down the tightness in his throat and a sudden urge to cry. A part of him knew it wasn’t because of the music.

_“Destiny was close behind him.”_ The boy at the piano raised his head slightly and the light of the moon finally caught his face. Dream took in the boy’s messy dark hair and deep purple eyes, but his eyes widened as they trailed the shape of his face. _“Phantom of borrowed life.”_

The exact same face he had been seeing all his life.

_“And the sea was a reminder.”_ His doppelganger continued to sing, voice reverberating off the polished stone walls. Dream was frozen in place. _“Mirror of given light.”_

All at once, Dream’s balance failed him and he fell back onto the door with a thud, immediately trying to regain balance when the piano tune came to a screeching halt. When he looked back, the other boy’s purple gaze was locked on him, eyes wide and glassy in the moonlight. Dream wasn’t sure what it was about those eyes that made him want to cry, but they did.

“Who…are you?” Dream barely whispered, trying to voice the questions his mind had been screaming. The boy visibly swallowed.

“I…My name is Nightmare.” He said, voice thick. Dream’s chest tightened painfully.

“Do I…” Dream began as he tried to quell the shaking of his voice. “Do I know you?”

Nightmare seemed to sag where he sat. “No, I…you…we were only babies…” The tense he used was purposeful, and Dream’s breath caught in his throat as he processed what was meant.

“You’re my…” Dream gasped.

“Brother.” Nightmare finished, standing from the piano bench. He made his way across the room until he was standing right in front of Dream.

Dream only stared, and the longer he did the more he could see how similar they looked. It was in the sharpness of their jaw and the curve of their noses, the shape of their eyes and the softness of their cheeks.

“You’re my brother…” Dream said, still trying to process everything. He watched Nightmare’s lip quirk upward into a half smile and his nose scrunch up, violet eyes going misty.

“I can’t believe you’re home…” Nightmare said, so quiet Dream barely registered it. But he did, and the tears he had been fighting since he entered the ballroom finally slid down his cheeks.

“Yeah…” Dream choked. “I’m home…”

Hesitantly, Nightmare’s arm’s spread and Dream didn’t waste a second, slotting himself into his brother’s arms and wrapping his own around Nightmare’s back. He let himself breathe, tears of relief and happiness staining the shoulder of Nightmare’s shirt, and finally, finally, that aching longing in his chest faded till it was nothing but the steady beating of his heart.


	2. Once Upon a Time...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmare and Dream have a talk about 17 years too late

“I just don’t understand!” Dream said as he paced around Nightmare’s room. It was strange how different yet similar it was to his own room; the only real difference was the colours. Everything in Nightmare’s room seemed to be in varying shades of purple, while his was brilliantly golden. “Why wouldn’t she tell me about you?! I’ve been here for almost two months now!”

“She has her reasons, I’m sure.” Nightmare said from where he sat on his bed. “There are things she wanted you to know before you met me.”

“What could possibly be more important?!” Dream cried, collapsing down onto the bed beside his brother. “My entire _life_ I’ve felt like I was missing something. Something that I could never figure out. I thought that having a mother would make all of that disappear, but I was feeling like shit and thinking that I just needed time to adjust for a whole _two months_ when the very thing I was missing was just _down the fucking hall_!”

“Calm down.” Nightmare said. “Trust me, I understand how you’re feeling, but mother just…didn’t want you to get hurt.”

Dream turned his gaze from the ceiling to the purple eyes watching him. “Get hurt? By what?”

Nightmare tore his gaze away from him and shrugged his shoulders. “Lots of things.”

“…Like what?” Dream said, intrigued. He pressed himself up onto his elbows and continued to stare at his twin.

“It’s nothing you should worry about.” Nightmare said. He smiled at Dream, and Dream inwardly cringed at how completely fake it looked, even to someone who had barely known Nightmare for more than four hours.

“Night,” Dream began, the nickname falling naturally, easily, from his lips, like he had been using it all his life, “I’ve been lied to all my life, please don’t be like everyone else.”

Nightmare’s forced smile fell from his face and he sighed. “I know. You don’t deserve being lied to, but it’s…a lot.” Nightmare said as he begun to twist his fingers around themselves, something Dream had noticed a lot in their short time of being together, a nervous habit. Another strange thing he had noticed about his brother was how rough his hands were. It made sense for Dream, as he had picked up wood-carving in his time in the tower, for his hands to be covered in rough calluses, but Nightmare lived his entire life in the castle, so the hardened and scarred skin of his palms made little to no sense. He half wondered if Nightmare had picked up a similar hobby to him that produced those results.

Dream, smiling softly, rose from the bed and crouched in front of Nightmare so he could meet the other’s downcast gaze. Gently, and still a little hesitantly, Dream placed his hands on top of Nightmare’s and turned his soft smile to him. “Please?” He asked.

Nightmare huffed, but his eyes softened. “That’s not fair.” He started, corners of his mouth twitching upward, “You haven’t given me any time to get immune to your puppy-dog eyes.”

Dream beamed up at him and Nightmare found himself smiling too as he stood up. He linked their hands and pulled Dream towards a bookshelf on the opposite side of his room. As they neared it, Nightmare scanned the shelf at waist height before reaching out to grab a newer-looking tome the same shade of purple as the curtains of his room.

“History book?” Dream said, raising an eyebrow. Nightmare shook his head, then grinned at him as he pulled the book out and down. The bookshelf gave a small click and soon it was sliding inward to reveal a dark stone passageway. Dream gasped, practically vibrating with excitement. “A secret passage?!”

“Yup.” Nightmare said as he grabbed a hanging lantern near its entrance and went back over to his desk to find a match. “It’s been there for a while, but mother only just recently found out about it. She didn’t know I already knew it was there. That’s how I’ve been travelling around the castle without you seeing me.”

“Huh.” Dream said, still scanning the dark passageway. “That makes sense. What did you use it for before mother found out?”

Nightmare appeared at his side after a moment, flickering lantern in hand, and extended his other to Dream as he stepped into the tunnel. “I used to sneak into the library late at night when she yelled at me to stop reading and go to sleep.”

Dream laughed and took the offered hand, stepping into the passageway just before Nightmare pulled a half-hidden lever and closed the bookshelf behind them, plunging the tunnel into semi-darkness. Nightmare smiled at him in the light of the lantern before turning and beginning to walk. “Come on.” He said. “The library isn’t far.”

Despite the fact that he was with someone, and that they were currently enveloped in a little bubble of soft orange light, the darkness of the tunnel unnerved Dream. Subconsciously, he shifted a little closer to Nightmare, gaining a confused and slightly concerned look in response. “Sorry.” Dream murmured, putting more distance between them. “I just…don’t like the dark.”

Nightmare shrugged and pulled him back to where he had been. “It’s okay, I didn’t used to like it either.” He said, giving Dream’s hand a squeeze. “The only thing to really worry about in here is the spiders.” Nightmare shuddered at that and Dream laughed a little, sticking close to his brother’s side as they continued down the passageway.

“…You read a lot then?” Dream said, trying to make conversation so the silence wouldn’t get to him either.

“Yeah.” Nightmare said with a nod. “A bit too much if you ask mother, but I like it. There’s not much else to do anyway.”

“But the village around here is huge!” Dream said. “And the market looks so wonderful and…and the people are so kind!” Nightmare tensed a bit next to him, but kept walking.

“I don’t really…go out often anymore.” Nightmare said.

“Why not?” Dream asked. “Do you not like it?”

“It’s not that.” Nightmare said, pausing by an empty torch holder. “Well…it’s not _just_ that. There’s a lot of reasons. I’m not allowed to go out.” He pulled down on the torch holder and the stone wall slid away, opening up to an ancient looking wooden door. Nightmare pushed the door open and Dream found himself stepping into the absurdly large library that the castle housed. He would have taken a moment to gawk at the grandeur of it all, but something else was tickling his mind.

“You’re not allowed to leave?” Dream asked his brother. “Why not?”

Nightmare sighed, letting go of Dream’s hand as he crossed the room to one of the shelves on the opposite side. “How much did mother tell you about the Kingdom of Sun?” Nightmare said as he walked. Dream followed a little timidly behind him.

“That it was founded some two-thousand years ago.” Dream said, stopping to admire the large mural that decorated one of the library’s bare walls. “And that the original royal family was chosen by the goddess of the sun, and so they named it accordingly.” At the sound of shuffling, Dream turned his attention back to Nightmare as the other placed a heavy looking book down on a nearby table with a resounding thud. Nightmare winced, hoping nobody had heard. “But what does that have to do with you not being allowed to leave?”

Nightmare paused from where he was about to open the book and heaved a sigh, one that had him slouching against the table, hands braced on either side of the book. He let his head hang down for a moment before he brought it up to look at Dream. “There’s…a sort of law here that everyone abides by. It’s not enforced or anything, but people are shunned for it all the time.” Nightmare began. “Everyone in this kingdom praises the goddess of the sun, they thank her for everything. The goddess of the moon, however…”

“You’re not allowed to praise her as well?” Dream asked.

“Like I said,” Nightmare said, “there’s no law against it. People just associate the goddess of the sun with everything good. So, what do you think they associate the moon goddess with?”

“Evil…”

Nightmare nodded. “It’s really just a taboo, mother doesn’t believe that goddesses have any particular alignment, good and evil are pretty black and white after all, but the goddess of the sun gave the royal family a special job to do.” At this, Nightmare began flipping through the book, beckoning Dream over with his unoccupied hand.

“What sort of job?” Dream asked, wandering over to look over his brother’s shoulder.

“I’m guessing mother didn’t tell you about the Tree yet?” Nightmare said, sparing a side glance to Dream, who just shook his head. “It figures…”

“What tree?” Dream said. Nightmare stopped flipping pages and angled the book so Dream could see it better.

“This tree.” Nightmare said. On the slightly yellowed parchment, and elegantly drawn apple tree sat in the middle of the page. The trunk was winding and twisting, a brilliant yellow banner with the emblem of a sun, for the kingdom of sun, wrapped around it. The apples, however, were the curious part of it. On one side of the tree, the apples that grew there were shaded darkly, almost black in comparison to the lighter ones on the opposite side.

“What’s so important about a tree?” Dream asked.

“It provides people with feelings.” Nightmare said. “Positive and negative emotions. It’s what allows humans to have any emotion whatsoever.”

“Really?” Dream said, looking at the drawing again. “So, it’s a magic tree that the goddess of the sun gave us to protect?”

Nightmare nodded. “Pretty much, yeah.”

Dream’s brows furrowed as he studied the drawing more intensely. “But, what do we even have to protect the tree from?”

“People.” Nightmare said. “Even though that tree is the centre of all positive emotions in the world, it’s also the centre of all the negative emotions in the world.”

“So?” Dream said.

“So,” Nightmare began, turning around and leaning back against the table so he was facing Dream, “think about it. People don’t like negative emotions. If they got the chance to get rid of them forever, they would.”

“But isn’t there a balance to this sort of thing?” Dream said. “If you never felt sad, would you even realise you were happy?”

“Exactly.” Nightmare said. “That’s why we protect the Tree. There needs to be balance, always.”

“Okay…” Dream trailed off. “I get it, but I still don’t understand what this has to do with you not being allowed to leave the castle.”

“I’m setting it up.” Nightmare said with a little chuckle. “These are things you should know before I tell you.”

“Well, now I know.” Dream said, pulling out a chair to sit in and looking expectantly up at Nightmare. “So, tell me.”

Nightmare sighed but pulled out a chair of his own and settled down into it. He clasped his hands in front of him as Dream shifted to sit cross-legged on his chair. “…You’re sure you want to know?” Nightmare asked. Dream nodded. “…Absolutely sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure, now tell me!”

“Alright! But you have to promise me something first.” Nightmare said.

Dream groaned. “What is it?”

Nightmare frowned at him, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s our first brotherly promise and you’re complaining about it?”

Dream sighed before he stuck out his arm, pinky finger lifted. “Alright. What is it?”

“That you won’t get upset.”

Dream blinked at him. “Like…angry or sad?”

“…both.” Nightmare said as he mimicked Dream’s action. “Promise?”

Dream took a moment to contemplate what making this sort of promise would mean in regard to what Nightmare was about to tell him, but he realised it was a rather simple promise to keep so long as he kept his mouth shut.

“Alright.” Dream said, twining their pinky’s together. “I promise.”

When Nightmare pulled his hand back, he sagged slightly against the back of his chair. “Okay…” He began, “so, when mother first became pregnant with us she got really sick. And I mean _really_ sick. Many people thought that she wouldn’t last long enough to give birth, so people all across the village began offering prayers and sacrifices to the goddess of the sun, hoping she would help the Queen live.

Well, mom did, and she named us according to what time we were born. I was born under moonlight, and you were born under the first few rays of the sun. Or, that’s what mother told me. She hadn’t expected two of us, but she was happy nonetheless, and when she presented us to the kingdom everyone was happy too.

But then…” Nightmare trailed off, beginning to twist his fingers around each other again, “then you disappeared. No one knew what had happened. Everyone was looking for you, but no one had even a clue about where you had been taken. Slowly, but surely, rumours started spreading. That the Queen’s son, who had been born under the sign of the moon, had caused the disappearance of her other son.”

“What?” Dream said. “That’s ridiculous!”

“Rumours often are.” Nightmare said. “The people associate the moon with all manner of bad things, they simply thought I was cursed with bad luck. Of course, only a few people believed it. There was no proof behind these claims after all, and I was still a baby, but eventually these rumours began to appeal to more and more people.

Mother presented me to the kingdom again on the eve of my fourteenth birthday, when I had officially up the role of a prince and completed all my studies for it, and everything had been fine…

Until a sickness broke out the week later. Many people fell ill, many people died, and no one quite knew where it had come from. That old rumour began to appeal to people again, and it spread quickly throughout the town.

When I was nearing my sixteenth birthday I went out into the town, and for the first time I had someone refuse to sell me something.” Nightmare paused to take a breath. “When I returned a week later they coupled that with flinging insults at me. I ignored them, because they were baseless, but one summer, when I had been out in town a significant amount, many of the crops dried out and suddenly the villagers had no reason not to blame me for their strife.

I didn’t want to believe them, because I didn’t make any effort for these things to happen, nor did I wish they would. It was just bad coincidence. Soon, however, I began to think that maybe they were right, that maybe I did bring bad luck wherever I went.

Mother didn’t believe it, and she didn’t let me believe it either. She told me to ignore them, and I did until…” Nightmare’s hands were shaking. Dream moved his chair closer and grabbed his brother’s hands gently, urging him to continue but concerned all the same. “Until they started getting violent. It wasn’t much at first. Some people would just throw tomatoes and things like that at me, or…or shove me if I walked too close to them. I just ignored it, because it was more of an annoyance than anything. I didn’t tell mother, because I didn’t think it mattered.

But then…then the violence got worse. Most people just threw stones but some people, who were bigger and stronger than me, would throw punches. They’d…push me to the ground and kick me, yell nothing but obscenities the whole time. Some people pulled knives on me, but did little more than cut me with them. I was still royalty and they were still scared. Eventually I…got used to waking up covered in bruises.”

Suddenly, the roughness of Nightmare’s palms made sense, along with the scars, and Dream distracted himself from the slowly bubbling anger in his gut by smoothing gentle circles into the calloused palms. “You didn’t tell mother?”

“I didn’t think it would make a difference.” Nightmare said. “I had to though, eventually. There’s only so many times you can excuse multiple bruises with your own clumsiness.”

“…Why did you keep going back?” Dream asked.

“Cause I thought…” Nightmare said, voice going raw for a moment, “I thought that maybe, one day, when I went then wouldn’t look at me with such disdain. Maybe, one day, they’d st-op.” His voice broke and he pulled his hands free from Dream’s grasp, pressing them over his eyes and taking sharp, shaky breaths. “I’m so-sorry…”

Dream’s heart ached at the sight, and he realised, even if this was his first time seeing it, that he never wanted to see his brother cry again. Dream moved his chair closer, till their knees were touching, and wrapped an arm around Nightmare’s shoulders, pulling his head to his chest and resting his chin in dark hair. “You have nothing to be sorry about.” Dream soothed. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You need to know that.” Nightmare nodded against his collarbone as Dream felt the anger in his gut simmer down to an aching sadness. It was strange how someone he had only met a few hours ago could have such a profound effect on how he was feeling, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected. Somehow, Dream felt that he had known Nightmare all his life. “And if I have to spend the rest of my life reminding you, then I will.”

Nightmare gave a wet chuckle before he pulled away from the hug, wiping quickly at his eyes. “Thanks…really.”

Dream smiled at him. “Don’t thank me. Since I’m your brother, its technically my job to cheer you up.”

“Yeah…” Nightmare said, smiling weakly. “Anyway, around this time last year, mother found out and kept me inside. It’s easier than having to send me out with guards all the time. She did pass a law that if anyone hurt me while I was out with guards they would be brought before her and ‘severely punished’.”

“Well, that’s something at least.” Dream said, even though he thought there was more that could be done about this sort of problem. “I…can’t help but wonder if this would have never been a problem if I hadn’t been kidnapped…”

Nightmare turned his glassy violet eyes on him and reached out to give Dream’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Well, that’s not your fault either.” He said.

Dream smiled at Nightmare before he was dragged into a loud yawn, causing Nightmare to let out a little chuckle. “Tired?” Dream only nodded.

Nightmare rose from his chair and went to put the book he had brought out back in its place on the bookshelf behind them. Then, he grabbed the lantern, now down to the barest flickers, and extended a hand to Dream. “Then lets go back before this candle burns out.”

They walked back through the dark passageway in silence, but it didn’t quite feel uncomfortable. Dream was still trying to process everything when they returned to Nightmare’s room and the bookshelf closed behind him.

“We’ll have to tell mother about this in the morning.” Nightmare said. “It’s better than her finding out we’ve been lying.” Dream nodded and squeezed the hand he was still holding once before letting go and making his way to the bedroom door.

“Goodnight Night.” Dream said, offering his brother a smile as he opened the door.

Nightmare returned it. “Goodnight.”

Dream shut the door quietly behind him and made the short walk to his own room. When finally he was buried under the silken sheets of his own bed again, he allowed everything Nightmare had told him to finally process. In the dark and in the silence, Dream let tears of anger and sorrow run hot down his cheeks.

Violet eyes snapped open four doors down and, as he stared up at his ceiling, Nightmare knew that Dream had broken his promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some lore for ya'll! There will be more to come as it fits in the plot, but I think this is enough for now.  
> Anyway, hope you guys liked it! Comments and kudos are always lovely to see!  
> -Maggic


	3. To Be A Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Dream has a lot to learn in a very short amount of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dare everyone reading this to listen to 'To Be a Princess' from Barbie as The Princess and The Pauper as they read the chapter.  
> I DARE you.

Mother found out, because of course she did. There was no way the two of them could keep something like this from her for long, and they didn’t really want to. That being said, she seemed to have known before Nightmare and himself even got the chance to explain themselves. Stranger was how, upon finding out, Nyx had simply shrugged and sent one of the many butlers to escort Nightmare down to join them for breakfast.

“I didn’t expect to be able to keep the two of you apart.” She explained. “Besides, Nightmare is stubborn, and I knew I could only keep him away for so long.”

So, they ate breakfast together, waves of warmth shooting through Dream every time Nightmare reached out a foot under the table and nudged his leg, a sensation Dream didn’t realise he had been missing. Nyx watched her sons with a bemused expression, happiness filling her at their barely concealed twin grins behind forkfuls of fruit and eggs, one much more properly than the other. Nyx thought to herself for a moment.

“Nightmare.” She said, watching her eldest raise his gaze to her. “I’d like to request something of you.”

“What is it?” Nightmare said as he pulled up a napkin to wipe at his mouth.

“I’d like to go through with Dream’s official crowning ceremony next month.” Nyx said. “But, since I would like for it to actually _happen_ next month, I need help ensuring everything Dream needs to know gets covered.”

“So,” Nightmare began, placing his napkin back on his lap, “you want me to teach him some history?”

“No, myself or the tutor will handle that.” Nyx said. “Although, if he has questions I would appreciate you helping him.”

“Of course.” Nightmare said, sending a smile to his twin. Dream attempted to smile back around a mouthful of lemon loaf. “Then, what do you want me to do?”

“Etiquette.” Nyx said quietly, sending a sideways glance to her youngest. “It’s endearing, but it’s not proper for a prince to be eating like that at a royal banquette.”

Dream flushed, quickly swallowing his mouthful and staring down at his lap. Nightmare laughed.

“Don’t worry about it.” Nightmare soothed; a laugh still present in his voice. “You’ve got plenty of time to learn what you have to know before officially becoming a prince.”

“Are you sure?” Dream asked. “A month doesn’t seem like a lot of time…”

“You’re a fast learner.” Nightmare said.

“You just met me.” Dream deadpanned.

“Want to tell me I’m wrong?” Nightmare said as he reached out to grab a drink of water.

“I think the real question is, do _you_ want _me_ to tell you you’re wrong.” Dream said, smirking and wiggling an eyebrow. To his slight surprise and amusement, Nightmare snorted and promptly started choking on the water he had been trying to drink. Dream snickered as his brother desperately scampered for his napkin to cover his mouth.

“Boys…” Nyx chided with more amusement in her voice than displeasure. “No fooling around at the table.”

“Yes mother.” Dream said, his smile still present on his face.

“When-” Nightmare rasped, stopping to cough raggedly into his napkin again, “when do you want me to start teaching him?”

Nyx thought for a moment. “How about after breakfast? You two can go get tidied up and begin right away.”

Nightmare nodded and begun digging into his breakfast again. When he felt Dream’s slightly worried gaze on him, he met Dream’s gaze and sent him a wink. Practically feeling Dream relax, Nightmare went back to finishing his breakfast.

~

“Alright.” Nightmare said, pacing in front of where Dream sat on the edge of his golden covered mattress. “We’ll start with the basics then.”

“Okay.” Dream said, bouncing slightly on the bed, more out of nerves then actual excitement.

“Okay, first of all,” Nightmare said as he clasped his hands tightly behind his back, spine straightening and making him appear to grow taller from Dream’s angle. “Everything you were doing at breakfast? Don’t do it again.”

Dream blinked. “Eating?”

“No, not that.” Nightmare said, chuckling. “Just…how you were eating.”

In spite of himself, Dream felt heat rush to his cheeks again. “Oh…right. So, how should I eat then?”

“In theory?” Nightmare said. “Elbows off the table, back straight in the chair, and there should never be more in your mouth than you can fit on your fork.” He begun pacing again, walking away from where Dream was sitting before he paused again. “Oh, and mouth closed when you’re chewing.”

“Elbows off the table?” Dream asked, trying to picture that in his mind. “How do you…?

“That sort of thing is probably easier to learn ‘hands on’.” Nightmare said. “I’ll teach you later. For now, I think we should work on your posture.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Dream said, feeling a little defensive.

“For starters, you’re a terrible sloucher.”

Dream pouted. “I’m not _that_ bad of a sloucher.”

“You kind of are.” Nightmare said with a shrug.

“Alright then, Mr. Perfect Posture.” Dream said, smiling slightly. “Teach me how to _not_ slouch.”

“Of course, but you should stand up first.” Nightmare said, gesturing for Dream to rise from his spot on the bed. When Dream was standing, Nightmare grabbed him gently by the hands and pulled him away from the bed. Once he deemed they were far enough away, Nightmare let go of Dream’s hands and picked a piece of black fuzz off of Dream’s shirt. “Okay, back straight.”

Dream followed his brother’s command, shoulders unintentionally raising to his chin as he straightened his spine. Nightmare chuckled and pressed them back down again.

“Shoulders down.” Nightmare said pointedly. “Chest out.” When Dream followed through, puffing his chest out almost dramatically, Nightmare had to resist bursting out laughing. Dream caught the way his hand slapped over his mouth, however, barely muffling a snort of laughter. Dream immediately recoiled, cheeks glowing a deep red.

“Don’t laugh at me!” Dream whined. “I don’t know what I’m doing!”

“I’m not! I’m not!” Nightmare denied, though the wide grin on his face gave him away. “You’re fine, I promise!” He paused and thought while Dream frowned and tried to quell his rising embarrassment.

“Maybe, instead of thinking about pushing your chest out,” Nightmare said, brows furrowed, “think about bringing your shoulder blades together.”

“Together?” Dream asked.

“Yeah, like…” Nightmare walked behind Dream, placing his hands on the other’s shoulder blades and gently pressed them closer together. As he did so, Dream felt his shoulders move back and his chest go along with it, moving out and slightly up. “Yes! Now hold that.” Dream immediately stiffened, worried that even slightly relaxing any of his muscles would cause the posture he had gained to fall away, and he wouldn’t be able to get it back. Nightmare grabbed him by the hands and dragged him over to a body length mirror that sat in the corner of Dream’s room. He pulled Dream in front of it, standing over his shoulder.

Nightmare reached around and poked Dream’s stomach. “Stomach in.” Dream complied. “And…” Nightmare raised his hand to gently cup Dream’s chin, tilting it up ever so slightly, “chin up. There. Perfect.”

Dream had to admit, even if it was slightly uncomfortable and strange to stand as he currently was, it did make him appear much taller and more confident. “So…” Dream began, “now what?”

“Now, just walk like that wherever you go. Oh, and sit like that too.”

“What?” Dream asked incredulously. “Are you serious?” Nightmare only nodded, a bit amused.

Then, there came a knocking at the bedroom door.

“You may come in.” Nightmare said, still facing the mirror until the door creaked open. Cross entered, a bit timidly, eyes glancing around the room until they landed on the brothers. Dream grinned, thoughts of posture shoved from his mind, and made his way quickly over to Cross, throwing his arms around the guard and knocking him momentarily off balance.

“Cross!” Dream cried. “It’s so nice to see you!”

“Nice to see you too…” Cross murmured, cheeks darkening slightly. Nightmare, from where he stood, still by the mirror, watched, bemused.

Dream beamed at the guard, breaking the embrace. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in so long! How have you been?”

“I’ve been alright.” Cross said, returning Dream’s smile with a small one of his own. All of a sudden, he seemed to remember that there was another prince in the room; his posture grew ridged, expression sliding into a more stoic one. He turned to Nightmare and bowed his head. “Sorry for intruding, your Highness.”

Nightmare chuckled slightly as he crossed the room to them. “No need to be, and the title isn’t necessary.” He reached out a hand to Cross and, when the guard took it, he squeezed their joined hands slightly. “I never got the chance to personally thank you for bringing Dream home.”

Cross reddened under the praise. “There’s no need to thank me, really.”

“Well, I’m going to anyway.” Nightmare said with a smile. “You honestly have no idea how grateful I am.” Unsure of what exactly he was meant to say to that, Cross smiled and nodded.

“Not that I mind you coming to visit,” Dream began, trying to save Cross from his own awkwardness, “but why are you here, Cross?”

“Right.” Cross said as he let go of Nightmare’s hand and turned his attention back to his task at hand. “I was told to escort the two of you to the seamstress.”

Dream raised an eyebrow. “What for?”

“Measurements for your ceremonial clothes, no doubt.” Nightmare said, sparing Cross from a question he wouldn’t have been able to answer.

“Ceremonial…?” Dream mumbled.

“Your crowning ceremony, dummy.” Nightmare teased.

“Oh! Right.”

Nightmare rolled his eyes, turning his smile from his brother to Cross. He gestured to the doorway. “Lead the way, Cross.”

~

Almost the second they entered the room, Dream was whisked away to a raised platform that sat in front of two large floor length mirrors, an older woman with a kind smile and tan skin taking measurements with a speed that only came from years of experience. Nightmare had taken a seat off to the side somewhere, and only spoke when the seamstress disappeared for a moment to grab something.

“Her name is Agatha; in case you were wondering.” He told Dream, staring up at him with his arms folded across his chest. “She’s been around since before I was born. She used to sneak me cookies from the kitchen whenever mother wasn’t watching.”

Dream smiled, an airy laugh making its way from behind his lips. “She seems very nice.”

“She is.”

Dream stared at his reflection for a moment before a thought caught his attention.

“Why aren’t you getting fitted for clothes?” Dream asked. “Do you have some already?”

Nightmare smiled sadly at him. “No…I don’t. Not anymore.”

“Then why not?”

“Because, Dream.” Nightmare said, a sigh making its way into his voice. “People from the town, people of nobility and wealth I mean, are invited to your crowning ceremony. I’m not allowed to be there.”

Dream froze, staring at his brother with a look that morphed steadily from confusion to a helpless sadness. “But-“

“I want to be there.” Nightmare said, rising from where he sat to stand next to Dream and take one of his brother’s hands. “Believe me, I do. But the last thing I want is for something to happen and…for your celebration to be ruined.”

Before Dream could reply, Agatha came back, carrying a variety of coloured and textured fabrics and soon Dream forgot what he had meant to say to his brother, distracted by the sheer amount of fabrics being held up to him. He wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there when his brother and the seamstress came to a consensus about the colour scheme and Cross reappeared to escort himself and Nightmare to dinner.

“You two go on ahead.” Nightmare said to Cross and Dream. “I can find my way to the dining room.” Cross wanted to protest, but upon seeing something in Nightmare’s gaze decided to humour the prince. He and Dream left the room, the latter sending one last glance over his shoulder before the door was shut behind him.

“Was there something you needed, my prince?” Agatha asked.

“Actually,” Nightmare began with a smile, “there is.” He made his way over to her, bending over slightly to whisper something into her ear and pressing a folded slip of paper into one of her hands. She unfolded it as he spoke, eyes widening slightly as she looked upon the sheet of paper. When Nightmare had finished speaking, she smiled up at him, raising a hand to pat one of his cheeks.

“Of course, dearie. Leave it all to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken me forever to update, but I'm here to bless you all with a rare double chapter update!  
> Hope you all like it! Comments and kudos are always lovely to see! <3  
> -Maggic


	4. Your Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month has come and gone, and Dream's crowning ceremony is within a week away.  
> Nightmare believes him ready, but there's one thing Dream can't go through the ceremony without.

By the time a month had rolled around, Dream wasn’t quite sure what to expect when he went to try on his clothes for his official crowning ceremony. Maybe something similar to the loose-fitting blue tunic he had been wearing variations of since he was brought to the castle. Whatever it was, it wasn’t…this.

Under the bright light pouring in from the large windows scattered along the west-side of the room, Dream finally believed he was royalty. In front of a floor-length mirror, standing up on an elevated platform, dressed in a tight-fitting dress shirt that was light blue in colour, rimmed with accents of gold, and dress pants a crisp shade of white. Around his neck, where a tie would regularly go, sat a golden pendant with the emblem of a sun on it. Dream’s favourite bit, personally, was the golden cape that draped down his back, just reaching his knees, and clasped to his shoulders. He loved it even more when the seamstress told him who had designed the swirling bits of golden embroidery that rimmed the cape and the extravagant sun emblem that sat in its centre.

“You designed this?” Dream asked his brother, incredulous and incredibly flattered. Nightmare shrugged, smiling softly as he took in how his brother looked in his ceremonial attire.

“Well,” Nightmare began, rising from where he was sitting to fix the crookedness of Dream’s shirt, “yes. But I didn’t make it because I have no idea how to sew.” Dream’s smile widened impossibly, and he wrapped his brother in a hug.

“I love it!” Dream said. “But you really didn’t have to do anything for me…”

“I wanted to.” Nightmare said, returning the hug. “Besides, think of it as your crowning gift from me.”

Dream pouted, pulling away from the hug. “But I didn’t get you anything…” Nightmare let out a small chuckle and begun fixing Dream’s now slightly wrinkled shirt again.

“My official crowning was when I was fourteen.” Nightmare said. “You couldn’t have given me anything even if you knew who I was.”

“Still…” Dream mumbled as Nightmare turned him around to face the mirror again. He met his brother’s smile in the mirror and Nightmare rested his chin on Dream’s shoulder.

“You excited?” Nightmare asked. Dream let out a shaky sigh.

“Kind of.” Dream said. “I’m more nervous than anything.”

“Don’t be. You know what you’re doing, and you look _very_ princely.”

Dream flushed a bit under Nightmare’s praise and raised his chin proudly, pleased with how it completed the look of his reflection. Then, his thoughts wandered to the conversation that had taken place the last time they were in this room and his smile slid quickly off of his face. Nightmare’s followed.

“What’s wrong?” Nightmare asked.

“I just…” Dream began, turning to face his twin again, “I wish you could be there with me. You _should_ be there with me.”

Nightmare gave him a sad smile. “I know, but it’s probably for the best anyway. The last thing I want to do is ruin your day.”

“You could never ruin my day.” Dream said. “No matter what.” Nightmare’s smile quirked up a bit at that, and he opened his mouth to speak.

“Forgive me for intruding, Your Highnesses,” The seamstress, Agatha, Dream reminded himself, said. She was a characteristically plump older woman, with a head full of wispy white hairs and a thick accent, but she was kind and, according to Nightmare, had been around since he was a toddler. “But I believe Prince Dream has a point. It is rather unheard of for both princes to not be present at a crowning ceremony.”

“Agatha…” Nightmare said. “Mother won’t allow it, and our guests won’t either.”

“I agree my Prince.” Agatha said as she began gently herding Nightmare away from Dream and off towards a folding screen in the corner of the room, one that Dream had previously changed behind. “However, I am thinking about something much more important than the opinions of the townsfolk.”

“Really?” Nightmare asked when she let go of his arm. “And what is that?”

She smiled up at him, all crooked teeth and squinted eyes. “Your happiness.”

Nightmare, though his chest felt incredibly tight at the comment, smiled back at her and cast a glance to Dream. His brother nodded enthusiastically, beaming.

“Regardless,” Nightmare sighed, “I don’t have any clothes nice enough for a ceremony anymore.” Agatha’s smile never left her face as she winked at him.

“That’s what you think.” She said, giving Nightmare a gentle push behind the dividers. “Get changed. It’s all back there for you.”

Nightmare, for all his confusion, didn’t say anything, opting to comply with the wishes of the seamstress and his brother. Dream stood on the pedestal still, rocking slightly on his feet and wondering what Agatha had put together for his brother. Maybe it would look like his, only in black and purple. That seemed the most fitting thing anyway, and his brother did look good in those colours. Very mature and royal, which were two words that came easily to Dream’s mind when he thought of Nightmare. That, and ‘huge dork’.

When Nightmare emerged from behind the dividers, Dream fully understood what his brother had meant when he had told him he looked ‘princely’, there was no other way of putting it. Clad in a matching dress shirt and pants, both deep black and rimmed with silver, with an elegantly long deep purple cape that sat purposefully lopsided, draped across Nightmare’s right shoulder and concealing his arm beneath the curtain of silky purple fabric. Around his neck, where Dream had a sun pendant clasped, Nightmare wore a similar pendant. The sun was still present on it, but it was significantly smaller, only barely large enough to conceal the curved crescent moon that sat behind it.

Nightmare walked over to the platform that Dream was still standing on and joined him, freezing the moment he caught a glimpse of his own reflection. Dream beamed, placing a hand on one of Nightmare’s shoulders.

“You look so cool!” Dream said, bouncing on his feet a little. “We look so good! I’m so excited!” At the small, almost timid, smile Nightmare gave him, Dream had to physically stop himself from throwing his arms around his brother and squeezing him till he couldn’t breathe.

“Ah, ah.” Agatha tutted; hands hidden behind her back. “I’m afraid that’s not everything Prince Nightmare.” Nightmare raised an eyebrow at her as she moved to stand behind him. “Close your eyes, dearie.”

Nightmare did as he was told, and Dream watched the seamstress gently place a golden crown onto Nightmare’s head, the dark waves of his hair a perfect contrast to the brightness of the circuit. It was a simple crown, nothing elegant or overly complicated about it, with a delicately cut crescent moon attached to the circuit right where it rested above Nightmare’s forehead. Dream had never seen his brother’s crown before, as Nightmare never wore it when they wandered around the castle together.

_‘It suits him.’_ Dream thought, briefly curious about what his own crown would look like.

When Nightmare opened his eyes, Dream could hear the breath catch in his throat and he had a feeling that his brother didn’t get to dress up often. Prince or not, Nightmare wasn’t allowed to attend gatherings. For his own sake more than for the sake of others. Gently, he wrapped his arms around his brother’s shoulders, pulling him into a sort of side hug, and smiled at him in the mirror.

“All hail Prince Nightmare.” Dream said, as genuine as it was teasing, before the shakiness of Nightmare’s returning smile made him pause. “Night? Are you okay?”

Nightmare laughed wetly, rubbing furiously at his eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.” Dream tightened his hold on him, pressing his forehead into the side of Nightmare’s head as one of Nightmare’s hands rose to grip Dream’s forearm tightly. Nightmare turned to the seamstress and smiled. “Thank you.”

Agatha nodded and excused herself from the room to go call for their mother.

Dream stared at Nightmare through the mirror. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Nightmare nodded, eyes still a bit watery. “I’m fine. I just…never thought I’d ever wear something like this again…”

Dream didn’t know what to say to that, so he squeezed his brother a little bit tighter and hoped Nightmare understood what Dream meant by the gesture. They didn’t have long to dwell on the heaviness that had settled around them before their mother entered the room.

“Oh, look at the two of you…” Nyx gasped, gaining the brother’s attention and causing them to turn around. Nightmare took a step back, letting Dream stand the slightest bit in front of him. He wasn’t the focus, after all. “My boys, looking so handsome…”

“Mother!” Dream said with a laugh.

“It’s true!” Nyx said, smiling. “Blue and gold look stunning on you, Sunshine.” Her gaze drifted to Nightmare as Dream smiled bashfully, sorrow in her gaze. “Agatha explained everything to me, but I’m still very much unsure about this idea.”

“Please?” Dream begged as he stepped down from the pedestal and wandered over to their mother. “Please, let him be there for this. I…I _need_ him there for this, mother.”

Nyx heaved a sigh, eyes flittering between her sons, between Dream’s pleading golden gaze and Nightmare’s hopeful violet one. She knew she would cave before she spoke, she couldn’t bear to shatter the hope shining in her eldest’s eyes, or the desperation in her youngest’s.

“Alright.” She said. “I will allow it.” Dream’s eyes immediately lit up and he turned to look a Nightmare, grinning from ear to ear. Nyx watched as, slowly, the same light crept into Nightmare’s eyes and a wide smile tugged at his cheeks.

_Goddesses. How long has it been since I’ve seen him smile like that?_

“But!” Nyx said, gaining her sons’s attention again. She directed her gaze pointedly at Nightmare. “If anything happens, and I mean _anything_ , you tell me. Understand?”

“I promise.” Nightmare said as he staggered off of the pedestal. When he came within arm’s reach, he wrapped his arms around his mother and hugged her tightly, Dream joining in soon after.

“Thank you…” Nightmare mumbled into her shoulder, and Nyx smiled softly, wrapping her own arms around her sons.

She only hoped she wouldn’t regret this decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really sure what to say about this chapter, only that it has been sitting on my word doc for like a month now before i finally got around to finishing it.  
> Regardless, I hope you all liked it! Comments and kudos are always appreciated <3  
> -Maggic


	5. A Long Day Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Dream's crowning ceremony has finally come around.  
> Now if only he wasn't so nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow its been... a long minute since I updated this fic, and I just wanted to apologise for that. My brain has a hard time sticking to one plot line for a long period of time, so sorry for leaving this alone for so long!

Dream was equal parts nervous and excited when the day of his crowning ceremony finally rolled around. Part of him had no idea what he was meant to expect, but the other part could infer from the books he had read and the vague information he had gotten from his brother. Gatherings like this were meant to be extravagant, with members of nobility and the higher class crowding the ballroom, all hoping to get a glimpse of the royal family and maybe, just maybe, get a chance to meet them personally.

“From what I remember,” Nightmare was telling him one night, chin resting on his pillow as he read, “these kinds of ceremonies are mostly filled with stuck up people from the higher class trying to make a good impression on the royal family. Or, to be more accurate, mom.”

Dream clutched his pillow tighter to his chest. “And when was the last time you went to one of these?”

“About…” Nightmare pulled his gaze away from his book to stare blankly at the bed’s headboard as he thought. “Four or five years ago?”

“No one that comes to these is… _too_ stuck up, right?” Dream asked.

“I don’t think you’ll have a problem.” Nightmare said with a laugh. Glancing at Dream out of the corner of his eyes, he sent his brother a smug smile. “I think everyone is really looking forward to seeing you, in all honesty.”

“They don’t even know me.” Dream said, though he was smiling as well now.

“They don’t have to.” Nightmare said as he flipped a page in his book and sighed. “Any alternative to me being King later on is going to be welcomed by them.”

Lightning quick, Dream’s smile vanished and was replaced by a frown that boarded on a pout. Pushing himself up from his reclined position, he grabbed the pillow he had previously been holding and smacked it down over the back of his brother’s head, effectively sandwiching Nightmare between the two pillows. Nightmare let out a surprised sound as his face was shoved into his pillow, book falling from his grasp and snapping shut as he lifted a hand to grab at the wrist keeping the pillow pressed to his head.

“What did I say about talking like that?” Dream said, shifting around so his knees were on either side of his brother’s back as he pressed harder into the pillow. “Stop saying those sorts of things!”

“Okay! Okay!” Came Nightmare’s muffled response as he smacked at Dream’s hand. “Knock it off!”

Relenting, Dream took the pillow off and collapsed down on top of Nightmare, caring little for the pained exhale forced from his brother’s throat. Dream let his head fall to the pillow beside Nightmare’s head as Nightmare grabbed the book he had dropped and smacked Dream lightly in the forehead with it.

“You made me lose my page…” Nightmare wheezed. “And get off…you’re heavy…”

Dream huffed as he rolled off of him and onto his back, staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom. He let himself sink into the mattress beneath him and tried to ignore the anxious pacing of his heart. Dream was tired, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to fall asleep yet, even though he knew he would have to get up at a decent time in the morning to get ready for his _crowning ceremony._

“…are you sure I’m ready for this, Nighty?” Dream mumbled.

Nightmare sighed and put the book down again, giving up on it for the night as he pushed himself up to his knees.

“Is that why you’re asking me so many questions at close to two in the morning?” Nightmare said. “Because you’re nervous about tomorrow?”

“Maybe…” Dream said. “But also because I just like talking to you.”

Heaving another sigh, that might’ve been coupled with an eye-roll, Nightmare grabbed his pillow by the corner and swung it around to smack Dream in the face with it. Dream gave a startled yelp, but he didn’t relent, continuing to hit his brother’s face.

“You. Will. Be. Fine!” Nightmare said, punctuating each word with a smack from his pillow.

“Ack! Night!” Dream cried, though it soon dissolved into peels of laughter as he raised his hands to fend off his twin’s attack. Grinning ear to ear, Dream grabbed his own pillow and returned Nightmare’s attacks with some of his own.

Dream wasn’t sure how long they play-fought with each other, taking soft yet violent smacks from the other’s pillow and laughing breathlessly, until they collapsed into a heap on the bed, flushed and still shaking with laughter. As Dream took in the sight of Nightmare’s wide smile, he only hoped none of this would change once the morning came and passed. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to handle it if that was the case. Exhaustion weighing his bones, Dream curled up on his side, reaching out to wind his arms around one of Nightmare’s own and pressing his face into the side of his shoulder. Turning his head to look at his brother, Nightmare smiled something soft.

“Tired now?” Nightmare said.

“Yeah…” Dream mumbled.

“…If you’re going to stay,” Nightmare began, “maybe we should get properly into bed.”

“…am I allowed to?” Dream asked, voice low with sleep.

“I’m not going to kick you out.” Nightmare said.

Still, they lay on top of the blankets for a few minutes longer before Dream pried himself away from Nightmare’s arm and sat up, the two of them clambering to their feet only to slip back under the covers scarce seconds later, pillows placed properly behind their heads. Hesitating only for a moment to blow out the candle and plunge them into darkness, Nightmare collapsed on his stomach and buried his hands under his pillow, turning his head to stare at what little he could make of Dream in the dark.

“Don’t stress about it.” Nightmare whispered. “You’ll do great, okay?”

Dream, from where he flittered between awake and asleep, curled up on his side scant inches from where Nightmare lay, gave his brother a sleepy smile and nodded.

“Okay…I trust you…” Dream managed to say before sleep dragged him into its quiet bliss.

~

They were awoken very few hours later by a knock at bedroom door, rousing in a groggy pile of tangled limbs and messy hair. Dream yawned, glaring at the door as if it had personally offended him as Nightmare sat up and rubbed tiredly at his eyes.

“Come in.” Nightmare said, his authoritative tone lessened by the sleep clinging to his voice and the yawn that cut him off at the end.

The large wooden door creaked open and Cross peaked his head in, looking a bit sheepish. “Sorry, your Highnesses, but the Queen requested that I bring you to breakfast.”

“Don’ worry about it, Crossy…” Dream mumbled, finally pushing himself up from the mattress and scratching at the back of his head, messing up his blond hair further.

If Cross flustered at the sight, Dream was still too asleep to notice and Nightmare decided to not say anything on the matter.

“I’ll…” Cross stumbled, backing out of the room and hiding his lower face in his scarf. “I’ll wait for you two to get ready out here.” Then, the door closed behind him with a thud.

Heaving a deep, exhausted sigh, Nightmare allowed himself to fall back onto his mattress once again, pulling the sheets up and over his head. Dream chuckled at him, low and airy.

“C’mon, _Your Highness_.” Dream teased, yanking the sheets off his brother’s head. “We should get up.”

“No.” Nightmare grouched as he snatched the sheets back. “Five more minutes.”

“Aw, is someone tired?”

Nightmare glared at him. “Says the reason I was up till almost three in the morning.”

“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t have read until three in the morning if I wasn’t here.” Dream said.

Nightmare didn’t dignify a response, choosing instead to ignore Dream’s statement and slowly, reluctantly, peel himself up from the mattress and clamber to his feet. The stone floor was cold against the bottoms of his feet, but he quickly grew accustomed to the feeling.

“Well, come on then.” Nightmare said, extending a hand to Dream. “Let’s get going.”

Dream groaned, desperately wanting to stay in the comfort of the bed for just a few minutes longer, but realised it would seem incredibly hypocritical of him, considering he’d been trying to get Nightmare up only moments ago. So, he took the offered hand, and allowed Nightmare to pull him to his feet. They dressed quickly, without much conversation, and left the room to meet Cross in the hallway. Cross didn’t say anything when they approached him, only giving the two of them a gentle smile and a slight inclination of his head, before he turned and led them through the castle.

Maids and butlers ran around the castle, carrying silverware, tablecloths, and feather dusters, cleaning off every surface they could see until it gleamed in the early morning sunlight. Dream was expecting Cross to lead them to the smaller dining room where the two of them normally ate breakfast, so when Cross took an unexpected turn and led them, instead, into the ballroom, Dream was visibly confused. That confusion died away, however, when the large wooden doors opened to reveal a freshly polished floor littered with tables and chairs. More noticeable than the smaller tables off to the side of the room, however, was the three ornate chairs that sat at the head of the room, two decently smaller than the one that sat in the middle, but no less extravagant. Off to the side of those chairs, at the head of a rather long table, sat their mother, eating her breakfast peacefully while also attending to any servant that approached her with questions about the ceremony that afternoon. When she noticed the approach of her two sons, and Cross, she waved away the man at her shoulder and smiled pleasantly at them.

“Good morning, you two.” She greeted. “And you as well, Cross.” The guard bowed his head. “I trust you all slept well?”

Nightmare glanced at Dream from the corner of his eye. “It was decent.”

“We slept fine.” Dream said, putting emphasis on the last word. “How about yourself, mother?”

“I had a pleasant rest.” Nyx said as she smiled amusingly. “One of the servants was quite distressed this morning, as she had failed to find you in your chambers. I’m glad Cross was able to track you down.”

“Oh…” Dream said, looking a little guilty. “I didn’t mean to worry anyone. I was visiting Night late last night and I was too tired to head back to my room.”

Nyx waved a hand, sending him a wink. “Don’t worry about it Sunshine. I had a feeling.”

“When will the guests be arriving mother?” Nightmare asked as he took his seat on the side of the table opposite where they had previously been standing, gratefully excepting a plate piled high with eggs and sausage that a servant presented to him. Dream took the seat opposite of him and did the same, taking note of the anxious twitching of his brother’s hands as he asked the question. He felt a sudden swell of guilt. He was so preoccupied with his own concern about the ceremony, that he hadn’t even thought that Nightmare might be feeling a similar anxiety, but for a vastly different reason. If their mother noticed Nightmare’s anxious movements, she didn’t say anything about it.

“A little after lunch.” Nyx said. “Hence the reason I had Cross get the two of you out of bed a little earlier. I want you both dressed in your ceremonial clothes and nicely groomed by lunch time. That way, we can begin the ceremony on time without any hiccups.” She looked up from her plate at Nightmare. “You are not to leave my side for the night unless it’s for the washroom. The servants will bring you whatever you want, or they will escort you. Understood?”

“Yes, mother.” Nightmare said, understanding her precautions.

“Could I be considered an escort?” Dream asked. “Would he be allowed to leave your side if I was with him?”

Nyx sent Dream a soft look. “Under normal circumstances, I would allow it. However, I’m sure many people will want to mingle with you tonight, and I can’t expect you to keep an eye on your brother while all that is going on.”

Dream’s face fell and Nightmare kicked his leg under the table, sending his brother a lopsided smile.

“Don’t worry about it.” Nightmare said. “I’m happy to just be there.”

The weight lifted slightly from Dream’s chest as he smiled at Nightmare. “If you’re sure.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Wonderful.” Nyx said. “Now shush you two and eat. We have a long day ahead of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Party time begins!  
> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! (even though you had to wait months for it)  
> Comments and kudos are always lovely to see! <3


	6. The Calm Before the Storm

The twins had barely finished breakfast before they were hauled off to get ready for the ceremony. Dream, although he was worried about being without his crutch, aka Nightmare, didn’t have much of a choice in the matter as they were led into different rooms and Dream was promptly shoved into a sweet-smelling bath. The warmth of the water and the scent of the bubbles did little to calm his nerves, but at least it gave him a moment to think as maids worked the knots out of his hair.

Dream was…a little afraid if he was being honest. Sure, he knew nothing bad would happen tonight, his mother was being extremely strict on his brother and his own whereabouts for the evening, and he knew everything he was supposed to say like the back of his hand, but…

He had never been to a gathering like this before, and although he was confident in his manners, he wasn’t sure what to expect from the guests attending. Dream really only had a general idea of the responsibilities of being a prince, and Nightmare had encouraged him that it really wasn’t that difficult, until, of course, you became King, but Dream was still worried that someone might ask him a question he had no way of answering. Their mother may have been getting a little old, but she was still kicking ass and taking names, Nightmare’s words, not his, so neither of them really had to worry about being a ruler until much later, however, Dream still wondered if that would really matter to anyone else. After all, if he was going to be the future ruler instead of Nightmare, then wouldn’t they want to know what he had planned for his future? Truth be told, he hadn’t even thought past tonight. The weight of the role he was about to accept suddenly felt far too suffocating.

So preoccupied by his inner turmoil, he went through the motions of getting dressed and having his hair brushed and dried without paying any attention to any of it. Only when the soft pressure of his cape being fastened to his shoulders and Nightmare’s quiet voice rang out did Dream leave the space inside his head.

“What are you thinking about?” Nightmare asked, fixing the fastening on Dream’s right shoulder and smoothing down the back of his golden cape.

Dream took a breath and his stomach knotted painfully. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

Cold hands cupped his cheeks, and suddenly he was looking into concerned violet eyes. The contact and the familiar gaze grounded him.

“Hey.” Nightmare said, soft. “Breathe, okay? You’re going to do _fine_. Everything is going to be _fine._ ”

“How do you know that?” Dream asked, only realising that he was shaking when Nightmare took both of his hands in his own.

“ _Because,_ dummy,” Nightmare said, “I _know_ you. And I know mom. _Nothing_ is going to go wrong tonight. You’re going to say all your promises correctly, you’re going to give that heart wrenching speech of yours, you’re going to dance with Cross, and everyone is going to _adore_ you. Okay? _Nothing_ is going to go wrong.”

“But-“

Dream was interrupted when Nightmare’s hands left his own and instead rose to pinch his cheeks, pulling them outwards. The pain causing Dream to wince.

“Say it!” Nightmare said. “Say ‘nothing is going to go wrong’!”

“Ow! Fine!” Dream conceded, rubbing harshly at his cheek once his twin let him go. “Nothing is going to go wrong.”

Nightmare nodded. “Again.”

“Nothing is going to go wrong.” Dream repeated with even less enthusiasm. “What are you doing, Night?”

“The more you say something, the more you’re supposed to believe it.” Nightmare said, shrugging. “Is it working?”

“Not really.”

“Didn’t think so. It doesn’t work for me either.” Nightmare said, gaze falling to stare somewhere near their feet. Both of them were quiet for a minute before Nightmare raised a hand again and placed it gently on Dream’s shoulder. “I’m nervous too. But…I have faith in you and mom.”

Dream felt a smile tug at his lips. “Thanks for trying to help.”

“Always.” Nightmare said. Then, he looked at Dream’s head and frowned, nose scrunching up. “I _do not_ like your hair like that.”

“What’s wrong with it?” Dream asked, raising a hand to his hair. His bangs had been slicked back, away from his face, but that was as far as he knew. It was a strange choice, considering it didn’t look like anything different had been done to Nightmare’s hair. If anything, the other’s dark locks only looked a little fluffier than normal.

“You just…” Nightmare began, walking away for a moment to grab a comb, “you look better with your bangs down.”

Dream was a little concerned that one of the maids might get a little upset about them undoing their hard work, but he trusted Nightmare’s judgement. Wincing only slightly as he hair was brushed out of the position it had been set into, Dream watched the way his brother’s brows furrowed in concentration and how his tongue poked out the barest bit. Chuckling lightly, he held back another wince.

“What?” Nightmare asked, combing out Dream’s bangs so they comfortably framed his face in soft curls.

“Nothing.” Dream answered as Nightmare took a step back to admire his work. When he appeared satisfied, he grabbed Dream by the wrist and dragged him over to a floor length mirror that hung nearby. Pulling Dream in front of him, Nightmare rested a hand on each of his brother’s shoulders and smiled at him from over one.

“So?” Nightmare said. “What do you think?”

Dream admired his ceremonial clothes once again, the way they made him look, the way they made him feel, and even without the crown on his head he felt like a prince. Somehow, with Nightmare grinning at him through the mirror and the comforting weight of the cape on his shoulders, Dream found the responsibility easier to bear.

“I think...” Dream said, returning Nightmare’s grin. “I think I’m ready for this.”

Nightmare’s face brightened. “Good.”

Upon studying his brother’s form in the mirror in front of him, Dream noticed something missing. “Where’s your crown?”

“With yours getting polished.” Nightmare said. “It’s gotten a little…dull…from how little I’ve worn it lately.”

“Mm…” Dream hummed, raising an eyebrow. “Do you know what my crown looks like?”

“Yeah.” Nightmare said. “It’s simple, elegant. It suits you.”

“Aww, I’m glad you think I’m simple and elegant.”

Nightmare snorted, smacking Dream lightly on the back of the head. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it!”

Dream snickered. “I do!”

It was here that Nightmare seemed to…space out. His hands migrated to the opposite shoulder, crossing over themselves and trapping Dream in a sort of embrace. He rested his chin on the shoulder he had previously been looking over, and gazed off somewhere by the bottom corner of the mirror, eyes glassy. Dream smiled something soft.

“Whatcha thinking about?” Dream asked, unintentionally mirroring his brother’s question from earlier.

“Just…” Nightmare said as he blinked himself out of his trance. “Mom has me carrying your crown for the ceremony.”

“Really?”

Nightmare nodded. “Normally, her advisor would hold it but…she wants me to do it. To pass it to her when she crowns you.”

“Do you know why that is?” Dream said, turning his head to look at Nightmare out of the corner of his eyes.

“At first I thought she was doing it as a way to sort of…shove it in everyone’s face that I wasn’t some sort of…bad omen.” Nightmare said. “But she explained to me that it’s more than that. That it’s me…making a promise of sorts. To the kingdom, yeah, but more importantly, to you.”

“…Is it a secret promise?” Dream said quietly. Nightmare met his gaze and shook his head lightly.

“It’s not.” Nightmare said, smirking. “Why? Do you want to know?”

Dream nodded. “Yeah.”

Nightmare hummed, unlinking his arms from around Dream’s sternum, and sparing a moment to ruffle Dream’s hair.

“Maybe I’ll tell you…later.” Nightmare said. “For now, we should go meet up with mother before the guests arrive.”

“Niiiiight!” Dream whined. “Come on! Tell me!”

“I will! I will!” Nightmare said through a wave of laughs. “Just later! We’ve got to get going.”

Still pouting a little, Dream made his way away from the mirror and over to the large double doors of the room, sparing a minute to glance over his shoulder at where Nightmare still stood. Opening one of the doors, Dream extended a hand.

“Come on, then.” Dream said. Nightmare took his hand and the two of them left the room, silent for a moment as they walked down the hall. Dream smiled, swinging their joined hands. “Let’s get this party started!”

Nightmare laughed, and Dream felt relaxed enough to join him.

~

The first guests had already arrived when Dream and Nightmare found their way back to the ballroom to meet with their mother, but the twins avoided them without a problem, finding their mother walking quickly towards them, an advisor following behind her.

“Your Majesty,” the advisor was saying, “I strongly suggest you re-evaluate your decision…”

“And I have already _told you,_ ” Nyx said, stopping the man in his tracks, “that this decision is not up for negotiating. I’ve made my choice. You’re dismissed.”

When her advisor took his leave, Nyx turned to her sons and gave an exasperated shake of her head and roll of her eyes that had them smiling. She was dressed elegantly, fitting for such an occasion, and her blonde hair was piled in an intricate looking design atop her head. Her dress was green, rimmed with gold and silver, and her crown was large and extravagant, the emblem of a sun sat proudly at its centre. Something Dream noticed, and his brother must have too if his reaction was anything to go by, was that she wore a long silver pendant around her neck, on which rested a simple crescent moon.

“Mother…” Nightmare said, pointing at said pendant. “You’re…”

Nyx smiled at him, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his cheek, smoothing the skin there soothingly. “I figured it was only fitting for such an occasion. After all, you will be joining us tonight, Starlight.”

Nightmare smiled, but it was small, hesitant and unsure. “Are you…sure about all this?”

“Are you?” Nyx asked. Gently, she took both of her sons by their shoulders. “Tonight is a memorious occasion, and you should both try to enjoy yourselves. Dream, I implore you to mingle with our guests, but I request that you do not let anyone try to tell you how to behave. Mind your manners and your etiquette, but be yourself. Do you understand what I mean?”

“I understand.” Dream said with a nod. “Roughly…how many people will be present this afternoon?”

“Based solely on the responses we received, approximately two-hundred.” Nyx responded. “And that is not including those we haven’t heard back from.”

“Wow…” Dream breathed, apprehension spiking. “That’s…a lot of people…”

“I also have a few guests coming from overseas.” Nyx informed them, leading them on a walk down the length of the ballroom. “They shouldn’t be here for more than a day after the ceremony, but Nightmare I thought I should relocate you for a night or so, as the majority of the guest bedrooms are on the west wing with your own. I would rather not have them near you, if possible.”

“It shouldn’t be an issue to occupy one of the empty rooms in the east wing for a night or two.” Nightmare said, shrugging.

Dream turned to his mother, eyes wide. “Can’t Nighty just stay with me?”

Nightmare nudged Dream’s arm. “Really? Having me two doors away isn’t good enough for you?”

“No…” Dream mumbled, pouting slightly. “And don’t pretend you didn’t have fun last night.”

“I never said that.” Nightmare rolled his eyes, an amused smirk on his face. “But if you’d rather be cramped in a bed with me for a night or so, that’s up to you.”

Dream stuck his tongue out at his brother. “Meanie.”

“Boys…” Nyx said with a laugh. “I’ll get someone to make you up a room, Nightmare, but you two are free to do whatever you wish.”

“See?” Dream said, grinning as he turned to Nightmare. “Mom’s on my side.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Nightmare said. Smiling lightly, he reached out and linked their arms, leaning in to whisper to Dream. “Mom would let you get away with anything though.”

“I heard that.” Nyx called from where she walked a little ahead of them. The twins snickered.

“I love you, mom.” Nightmare said.

“And I love you.” Nyx responded, glancing at her sons over her shoulder with a bemused smile. “But enough joking around. The guests will be arriving shortly, so we should go prepare ourselves.”

Nightmare gave Dream a gentle smile and they followed their mother into a room off of the ballroom, closing the doors behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll actually see the ceremony. Sorry I've been dragging it out for so long guys, but I have a hard time writing really long chapters. It shall happen though, don't worry!  
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Comments and kudos are always great to see! <3  
> -Maggic

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, here's another multi-chapter thing that will probably only be updated as I get ideas.   
> This one has a little more thought tho, so it will probably be more likely to happen since my imagination is running WILD with this AU.  
> Anyway, hope you guys liked it! Comments and kudos are always lovely to see! <3  
> -Maggic


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